David O'Doherty claims top Edinburgh comedy award

O’Doherty picked up the if.comedy award, formerly known as the Perrier award, on Saturday night. The 32 year-old Dub edged out Rhod Gilbert, Russell Kane and double-act Kristen Schaal and Kurt Braunohler, leading award director Nica Burns to gush that "an hour with David O'Doherty fills the world with laughter and charm, and sends you home on a wave of happiness."

O'Doherty is a seasoned veteran of the Edinburgh shindig, celebrating the demise of the old Perrier award in a 2006 Hot Press interview and saying that "it’s just mind-blowing to go over, there’s 800 shows a night! You go from a place like Dublin, where there might only be one thing you really want to see every month, and suddenly there’s 50 shows a night you’d like to catch."

Also in the archives is a revealing 2002 interview in which the "non-swearing philosophy graduate who also pens children’s books" gives us the lowdown on his upbringing, early career and love of jazz.

Now a fully-fledged member of the big time, O'Doherty has also won the Channel 4 'So You Think You're Funny' award, and was named Hot Press comedian of the year in 2003.